A book written entirely in lists?  Yes!  As a woman who enjoys making a good list: to-do lists, shopping lists, honey-do lists, and my favorite…to-be-read lists, I was more than a little intrigued to read a fiction novel written in list form. 

While the originality did spark my interest, I will admit that I had a couple of concerns as I began to read this book.  Would this style allow me to get to know the characters?  Would the story flow well?  I am happy to report that the answer to both questions is yes.  With every list that Dan, the main character, wrote, I felt like I was getting better acquainted with him.  I wasn’t very far into the book before I felt as though I had a pretty good understanding of Dan and his need for writing his lists.

Dan was an interesting character, although he would disagree with me.  While he was essentially an average, working, married man in his thirties, his inner voice and feelings about certain topics and happenings in his own life were what made Dan, well…Dan.  He was definitely laced with insecurities, fraught with worries, kept secrets, and wanted to be good man and husband.  His desperation and fear were palpable throughout the novel.  I think that he was, for the most part, a relatable character.  His lists fluctuated from financial worries to family and marital issues to quirky, outrageous lists of his views on certain subjects and life in general.  His lists went from making me feel for him and his situations to making me laugh out loud at some of his views, and I even shed a few tears. 

I always say that if a book makes a reader feel something, it’s a good book.  I really enjoyed my time with Twenty-one Truths About Love.  It was a unique, fast-paced, touching, humorous, and entertaining reading experience.  This was my first book by Matthew Dicks, but I have already added his other books to, you guessed it…my to-be-read list!

*4 Stars
 

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